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RAINEX: Convective Structures in Tropical Cyclones

Explore idealized hurricane structures and convective patterns in Ophelia, Katrina, and Rita based on RAINEX/ELDORA research. Discover insights on genesis, rainbands, eyewalls, and more.

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RAINEX: Convective Structures in Tropical Cyclones

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  1. RAINEX: Convective Structures in Tropical Cyclones Robert Houze D. Hence, A. Didlake, B. Smull, W.-C. Lee, M. Bell Hurricane Workshop NCAR Boulder 23 February 2010

  2. Idealized hurricane structure Title

  3. RAINEX (2005) Results Ophelia—genesis case Katrina—principal rainband Rita—double eyewall and moat

  4. Ophelia

  5. Ophelia

  6. Convection During Ophelia Genesis ELDORA flight

  7. Flight track with ELDORA

  8. Convective CellShownby ELDORA

  9. Convective Cell Shown by ELDORA

  10. Convective Cell Shown by ELDORA

  11. Convective contributions to genesis

  12. Katrina

  13. Katrina ELDORA flightalongPrincipal Rainband

  14. Principal Rainband

  15. Obtained Statistics of the Cells in thePrincipal Rainband

  16. Mean w in the Principal Rainband

  17. Detail of a Cell in the Principal Rainband dBZ and Airflow dBZ Div & Vort W & vort w VT & vort

  18. Consistent with the Idealization dBZ and Airflow dBZ Div & Vort W & Vort Updrafts w VT & Vort

  19. Detail of a Cell in the Principal Rainband dBZ and Airflow dBZ Div & Vort W & vort w V & vort

  20. Detail of Downdrafts in the Principal Rainband

  21. dBZ w VT ζ Downdrafts div

  22. Rita

  23. Double Eyewall of Rita

  24. Better Understanding of the Moat

  25. Vorticity Distribution the 2 Eyewalls 1.25 km Secondary eyewall exhibits complex, high-wavenumber structure

  26. Vorticity Distribution the 2 Eyewalls 1.25 km Vorticity at 1.25 km, Units: 10-4 s-1 Vorticity, Units: 10-4 s-1 Secondary eyewall exhibits complex, high-wavenumber structure

  27. Vertical Velocity in 2ndary Eyewall

  28. RAINEX/ELDORA Findings About Convective Structures in Hurricanes • Convection during Ophelia’s genesis • Deep • Wide • Intense • Rotating • Very little downdraft

  29. RAINEX/ELDORA Findings About Convective Structures in Hurricanes • Principal rainband in Katrina • Alternating convective-scale elements • Updraft cells feed vorticity into jet at 4 km • Inner-edge downdrafts strengthen low-level tangential flow inward of band

  30. RAINEX/ELDORA Findings About Convective Structures in Hurricanes • Eyewall replacement in Rita • Moat was taking on structure of an eye • Outer eyewall had an alternating cellular structure but not like principal rainband

  31. End

  32. Acknowledgment • This research was supported by NSF grant ATM-0743180 and NASA grant NNX07AD59G

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